New arms for a extinct family (attributed) - decided.

After some deliberation I have decided to go with the chevron and thistles coat for the arms to be attributed to a fictional family surnamed Touchnor.

Arms: Per chevron Or and Vert, a chevron per chevron between three thistles all counterchanged.

Crest: A porcupine Proper.

Motto: Noli Tangere.

This achievement is presented as an heraldic pun, canting arms or arme parlante; a visual pun on a person's or family's surname using the symbols and charges depicted on their coat of arms.

To play on the surname of "Touchnor" (soundalike: "Touch-no"), this design centres around the idea of avoiding contact or keeping a secure boundary. I have made the "barrier" a chevron per chevron counterchanged and the charges are thistles: A thistle is a prickly, wild herbaceous plant characterized by sharp, needle-like prickles or spines covering its leaves and stem. These sharp bits are a natural defence mechanism designed to protect the plant from being eaten by grazing animals. Thistles litterally say "Touch me not". or "Touch no". 

The crest of a porcupine visually enforces the concept of "do not touch."

The Latin motto Noli Tangere (often written as noli me tangere) literally means "do not touch me." or, "Touch not", a play on the name Touchnor.

Please note, these arms have been designed for a fictional character in a book.

International Rabbit Day 2026

 Today is International Rabbit Day so here are the canting arms of  Conisbie.

Conisbie, alias Coningsby, of Nene Solers (Co. Salop) and Morton Bagott (Co. Warwick)

Arms: Gules, three conies sejant two and one Argent. 

Crest: A coney sejant Argent,

(Visitations 1623 and Edmonson)

This one is quite obvious as a cony (or coney) is the traditional heraldic term for a rabbit, frequently used in British heraldry. Representing fertility and a gentle nature, it often appears in canting arms (puns on surnames) and is commonly depicted as brown, sitting (sejant), or running (courant). Here, it is Argent.

Talk - Suffolk Heraldry Society

 I shall be giving an online Zoom talk to members and friends of the Suffolk Heraldry Society on Thursday 18 February 2027 at 7.30pm.

I look forard to seeing you there.

New arms for a extinct family (attributed)

I am in the process of designing fictional arms for a 16th century family with the surname Tichnor from the fictional manor of Tichnor (the Tichnor surname is extinct in England). Needless to say, as I am fond of punning arms, puns feature heavily in the design. Design B has, possibly, the stronger pun but design A has its merits. 

Here are the two images and the explanation behind the puns is bellow.

Design B:

To play on "Touchnor" (soundalike: "Touch-no"), this design centres around the idea of avoiding contact or keeping a secure boundary. The Shield  is Vert (Green), symbolizing nature, growth, and the countryside but it is the main charge which provides the pun. The only charge on the shield is a Noli me tangere (Latin for "touch me not") flower, specifically, a stylized Touch-Me-Not (or Jewelweed) plant. This provides a direct, botanical pun on the name. The Border (bordure) counter-compony of Argent (Silver) and Sable (Black) signifies a boundary, wall, or barrier, enforcing the "nor/no" portion of the name by saying "stop, do not cross, don't touch me.

The crest of a porcupine visually enforces the concept of "do not touch."

The Latin motto Noli Tangere (often written as noli me tangere) literally means "do not touch me." or, "Touch not", a play on the name Touchnor.

Design A:

The same basis applies but here I have made the "barrier" a chevron per chevron counterchanged and the charges are thistles: A thistle is a prickly, wild herbaceous plant characterized by sharp, needle-like prickles or spines covering its leaves and stem. These sharp bits are a natural defence mechanism designed to protect the plant from being eaten by grazing animals. Thistles litterally say "Touch me not". or "Touch no". 

I shall mull it over.

 

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - now available to purchase

The book is now available to pre-order (expected to be in stock within 10 days) at £40 plus shipping. 

A4 size (210 x 297 mm) Hard back and full colour.

Excluding the forword and index there are 138 pages and 184 colour images.

Shipping will be Tracked:

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Book + Europe £55 inc shipping.

Book + All Others £60 inc shipping.

For overseas buyers, please contact me with your details (including address) at:

and I will send you a PayPal invoice.

Please note, whilst the book is available worldwide, for UK buyers only, the book is available on Ebay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/298721063123

Staffordshire's Punning Heraldry - Bagnall

 Bagnall

Arms: Per saltire Or and Ermine, a lion rampant Azure.*

Crest: An antelope sejant Argent ducally gorged Or.

There is a clever heraldic pun (known as canting arms) to be found in the crest of this achievement. The pun relies on a very rare, mythical heraldic beast known as the bagwyn. 

The blazon describes the crest as an antelope sejant. In traditional British heraldry, a bagwyn is an imaginary monster that looks almost exactly like a heraldic antelope. The primary distinction between the two is minimal, mostly involving the specific shape of the horns and the horse-like tail. Because they are so visually identical, armourists frequently substituted or conflated the two creatures. Bagwyn, is a direct phonetic pun on the surname Bagnall ("Bag-wyn" / "Bag-nall"). By placing an antelope in the crest, the designer created a visual nod to the bagwyn, cementing a classic medieval wordplay on the bearer's family name. 

*This blazon is possibly as the result of a transcription error. When the lineage was formally proven and confirmed by the Kings of Arms (including Robert Glover in 1583 and William Dugdale in 1663), the official, legally recognized grant for the Staffordshire Bagnalls was strictly maintained as the version with the two horizontal bars (Ermine, two bars Or...). The per saltire version exists as a recognized historical variant or transcription error specific to certain localized manuscript copies of those Visitation books. Whether we take this version as a transcription error or just a variant, both versions nevertheless have Ermine and Or.

Staffordshire's Punning Heraldry - Cunliffe

 Cunliffe

Arms:  Sable three conies courant Argent.

Crest: A greyhound sejant Argent collared Sable.

There is an excellent heraldic pun (known in heraldry as canting arms) to be found in this achievement. The pun operates on two clever levels, playing with both the sounds of the words and the interactions of the animals depicted. The core of the pun relies on the historical pronunciation of the word "Conies". The word Conies (the old English word for rabbits) was traditionally pronounced to rhyme with "honeys" or "monies" (with a short 'u' sound: /ˈkʌni/). 

"Cunliffe" (originally derived from the Lancashire location Cundeclif or Cumbecliue) starts with the exact same phonetic sound ("Cun-").  By placing three conies on the shield, the armiger was using visual wordplay to sound out the first syllable of the surname Cunliffe. 

The combination of the shield and the crest creates a lively, theatrical joke: On the shield, the conies are described as courant (running). Perched directly above them on the crest is a greyhound, a dog famously bred for coursing and hunting rabbits. The layout creates a perpetual visual gag: the greyhound sits atop the helmet eternally watching or waiting to chase the three rabbits running across the shield right below it.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Book Update

 I'm almost there.

The content is ready and the book cover has been designed. On Monday I shall be contacting the printers for a quote. 

Here's a sneak preview of the cover.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - 185 images

Today I have completed all of the illustrations for the Shropshire's Punning Heraldry series - all 185 of them. Now begins the work of putting everything together into a full colour illustrated book along with every explanation of each individual pun.  

Zouche

Arms: Gules, 10 bezants 4, 3, 2, & 1 a file of three points throughout Azure.

(Visitations) (Corbet Pedigree).

It is said that there is an intentional heraldic pun in the historic coat of arms borne by the Zouche family. However, the pun does not rest on the word "bezant" itself, but rather on the ancient French word for a tree stump. The Anglo-Norman surname Zouche (originally de la Zouche) derives from the Old French and Norman word chouche or çouche (modern French: souche), which means "a tree stump." In early medieval heraldry, fields that were scattered entirely with small round charges (known as semé) were often meant to represent the texture, leaves, or parts of a plant related to the family name. A red field scattered with gold coins (Gules, bezantée) was, in this coat, visually used by the family to look like a blazing or glowing tree stump. 

Stretching a point? Probably but this is in fact a well known and accepted cant. 

This exact wordplay was openly recognized by medieval contemporaries. In the famous Caerlaverock Poem (a 1300 roll of arms written in Old French verse), the poet explicitly describes the arms of Alan la Zouche:"...sa rouge baniere o besans... ke fust brisans". This translates to: "...his red banner with bezants... which signified a burning branch/stump". The word brisans or buisson played directly on the visual illusion of a burning log or root system created by the gold dots on a bright red background. While early records from the 13th and 14th centuries simply describe the shield as Gules, bezantée (an unquantified scattering of gold coins), it later became standardized by heralds to a fixed number for easier rendering. This settled into the neat triangular layout of 10 bezants arranged 4, 3, 2, 1.

The surname Zouche (historically written as de la Souche) comes from the Old French word souche, which means a tree stump or stock. While many branches of the family later used an actual tree stump as a crest or badge, the famous shield featuring gold coins (bezants) on a red field (Gules, ten bezants 4, 3, 2, 1) relied on a clever linguistic connection to spending money. The specific punning nature of these arms is famously documented in the Caerlaverock Poem, a heraldic roll from the siege of Caerlaverock Castle in 1300. The poet mocks Alan de la Zouche's arms: "Aleyn de la Souche tresor signfiout ke fust brisans, sa rouge baniere o besans. Car biens cai ki a dependu tresor plus ke en burce pendu." Translation: "Alan de la Zouche meant to show that his treasure was being broken up [spent/scattered], his red banner with bezants. For I well know that he has spent more treasure than could ever be suspended in a purse."

The file, or label, of three points is a mark of cadency to denote the heir (the first son) and it is removed once the arms have been inherited. 

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Wingfield

 Wingfield

Wingfield, of Shrewsbury, Preston-Brockhurst, & Onslow.

Arms: Argent, on a bend Gules cotticed Sable three pairs of wings in lure points downward of the first, a fleur-di-lis for difference.

Crest of Wingfield, temp. Hen. VIII. two wings displayed Argent united by a cord in fret Or.

The arms of Wingfield, of Shrewsbury, Preston-Brockhurst, & Onslow.

The coat of arms for the surname Wingfield features a classic example of canting heraldry (also known as canting arms or an heraldic pun). The use of wings on the shield is a visual pun that audibly and conceptually alludes to the first syllable of the surname "Wing-field". The "wings in lure" (a term depicting two wings joined together as if in a falconer's lure) are a direct, playful reference to Wing. In heraldry, when blazoning, or describing, a coat of arms, the basic shield is referred to as the "field". Whilst strictly speaking the wings in lure are on the bend, not the field, the heralds would have been quite content to use the fact that on the whole, there are wings (on the) field to make a perfect play on the surname Wingfield. 

The shield is described as: Argent, on a bend Gules cotticed Sable three pairs of wings in lure points downward of the first, a fleur-di-lis for difference. The mention of "a fleur-de-lis for difference" is not part of the primary surname pun. In the historical rules of cadency, this signifies that these specific arms belong to the sixth son of the family (or a cadet branch descending from a sixth son), using the fleur-de-lis to distinguish his line from the main branch.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Willaston

Willaston

Arms: Or, three mullets* two and one Sable (visitations).

Crest: Crest: A demi-lion issuing out of a ducal coronet holding in his paw a mullet (Sable) (Seal 1663)

* Burke's has the mullets pierced.

The arms of Willaston.

There is a traditional heraldic pun (known as a canting coat or armes parlantes) in this coat of arms, but it relies on an archaic spelling and meaning of the surname. While the "mullet" (a star-like charge representing a spur-rowel) might initially seem to have no relationship to the name Willaston, the pun operates on two clever linguistic levels. 

The first is the complex cant upon  "Well-A-Star". In early English and Anglo-Norman heraldry, puns on names were frequently phonetic rather than literal. Surnames ending in "-aston" or "-iston" were often treated by period heralds as a play on "a star" or "east star". The name Willaston (or its variants like Wollaston) was phonetically parsed in heraldic wit as "Well-A-Star" or "Will-A-Star". Because a mullet is the heraldic term for a five, or six-pointed star, placing three prominent stars on the shield directly answered to this verbal joke. 

The second is the aquatic Double-Pun: The "Mullet" Fish. There is a second, overlapping historical joke that applies to this specific family name. Early heraldic lexicographers, most notably Randle Holme III, in his 1688 masterpiece The Academy of Armory, explicitly recorded that the mullet was uniquely used by families like Willaston as a multi-layered pun. In the aquatic world, a mullet is a well-known type of fish. The surname Willaston shares strong historical roots and a nearly identical phonetic origin with the surname Williamson. In the playful, "cheap-shot" logic of medieval heraldry, the family name Williamson/Willaston sounds like "Will's son" or "Will's town". The mullet (fish) was used as a rebus because a young or small mullet fish was historically referred to in various regional English dialects as a "will" or a "willy-fish". Because drawing fish on a shield was sometimes seen as aesthetically less prestigious than geometric shapes, the heraldic designers swapped the literal fish for the geometric star while retaining the exact same phonetic name: a mullet.

By having the lion actively look at and hold a fourth mullet in its paw above the helmet, the heralds were quite literally doubling down on the pun, pointing the viewer's eye directly to the visual clue of the bearer's surname.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Watson

Watson

Watson, William.

Arms: Azure, a hare courant Proper between three suns 2 & 1 Or.

The arms of William Watson, co. Salop.

There is a distinct heraldic pun (known as canting arms or armes parlantes) in this blazon, which was historically borne by John Watson, Bishop of Winchester (1580–1584). This specific coat of arms breaks down into a two-part phonetic and semantic joke on the surname Watson. The Hare (Wat); from the Middle Ages through to early modern English, "Wat" was a standard, affectionate colloquial nickname for a hare (much like "Tom" for a male cat or "Robin" for a redbreast). Therefore, the hare courant (running hare) directly represents "Wat". The Suns (Son): The three suns flanking the hare serve as a literal, visual play on the word "son". When you read the symbols together on the shield, the heraldic elements visually announce "Wat-Sun" (Watson). 

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Wall

 Wall, of Faintree Hall, Shropshire. 

Arms: Per fesse Or and Azure, a fesse battely counter battely between three fleurs-di-lis all counterchanged. Crest: Out of a mural coronet Or a wolf's head Argent charged on the neck with a fesse embattled and counter embattled Gules.

(Granted July 9th 1594)

The arms of Wall, of Faintree Hall, Shropshire. 

The coat of arms and crest for the surname Wall is a textbook example of a canting arm (a heraldic pun or visual rebus). The central fesse is blazoned as "battelly counter-battelly" (also known as embattled, counter-embattled). In classical architecture and fortification, an embattled parapet or wall features alternating indentations and raised sections (crenelations). Visually and etymologically, this represents the stone wall of a castle, punning directly on the surname Wall. 

The crest sits atop a mural crown. As the name implies, a mural crown is styled to look like the top of a stone wall or a fortress. In stories, and probably also in fact, wolves were notorious for trying to breach the walls of sheepfolds, and were known as relentless jumpers of barriers. A wolf leaping over, attacking, or surmounting a wall is a classic heraldic play on the name.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Vickers

 Vickers

Vickers, Rev. J. 

Arms: Ermine a cross double fourchy Argent charged with 5 mullets Gules.

The arms of the Reverend J. Vickers.

Is this a pun, of just descriptive arms? There may be a tenuous heraldic pun in this blazon, centring entirely on the unique style of the cross representing the first letter of the surname and of the whole achievement being based upon Christian symbolism representing the occupation of the bearer. 

We know that a standard cross fourchy (from the French fourché, meaning "forked") has limbs that split into two points like a tuning fork. A cross double fourchy means it is double-forked, resulting in four prongs at the end of each of the four limbs. In Latin and old legal documents, the number four is "Quattuor", but the Roman numeral is written as "IV". Visually, the four-pronged ends resemble a series of "V"s. Historically, the phonetic and written interplay between "V", the Roman numeral "IV" (Four/Fourchy). The cross is charged with 5 mullets (five-pointed stars). In Roman numerals, the number five is represented by the letter "V". Placing exactly 5 of these charges acts as a blatant literal anchor for the initial letter of the Vickers name. While the primary objective of these specific design choices is the phonetic "cant," the choice of tinctures and furs grounds it in traditional medieval symbolism. 

But the shield has more to offer than simply a representation of the first letter of the bearers surname. The deigner of this achievement put a lot of thought into the occupation of the bearer. The usual coat of arms for the surname Vickers has a a straight forward cross fourchy, with the ends split into two, however, here we encounter a cross double fourchy, where the ends are split into four; the number four is clearly important to the armiger's Christianity.

Each arm of the cross is split into four; in biblical numerology, the number four universally symbolises earthly completeness, creation, and universality. While the number three often represents the divine (e.g., the Trinity), four relates to God's total sovereignty and order over the physical, material world He established. On the fourth day of creation, God completed the material universe by bringing the sun, moon, and stars into existence to govern time, seasons, and days. Four is associated with the four points of the compass (North, South, East, West) and the four winds, representing the geographic totality of the globe and God's reach across all nations. In the Scripture, the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) provide a complete earthly witness of Jesus Christ’s life.The Garden of Eden was watered by four rivers. The four Living Creatures seen around the throne in Revelation (often associated with a lion, ox, man, and eagle) represent all of creation worshiping God.

The five red mullets not only represent the V of Roman numerals, but more importantly, are representations of the wounds received during the crucifixion where Jesus suffered five primary wounds: on each of his hands, each of his feet, and his side.

This coat of arms gives us yet more. The ermine (the winter coat of the stoat, a small weasel) holds deep historical and spiritual significance in Christianity, primarily symbolising purity, incorruptibility, and the preservation of faith. This significance stems from two main traditional beliefs about the animal; the "Purity unto Death" Legend where Medieval bestiaries and folklore claimed that an ermine would rather surrender and die at the hands of hunters than soil its pure white coat by hiding in a dirty den. In Christian teaching, this became a powerful metaphor for martyrdom and the believer’s calling to die to sin rather than compromise their soul or faith.  Because of its flawless white winter coat, the fur became a natural symbol for the absolute purity of Jesus and the sinlessness of the Virgin Mary.

All in all, a worthy coat of arms.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Tayleur

I have written a lot about the Tayleur Arms (public house) on this weblog charting first my concern over the incorrect Inn Sign, through to its new ownership, destruction by fire, and the eventual resurection of this fine Inn and eating house along with the replacement of the sign to one more fitting for a pub called the Tayleur Arms. Now, I have the pleasure of adding the arms to my gallery of Shropshire's Punning Arms. There is a slight difference in that the sword, in the MS of Mr. Morris, is recorded as being "imbued" that is to say blood stained at the point.

I bring to my reader's attention a rather scathing report of the so called pun by Sir Bernard Burke, Ulster King of Arms. 

Tayleur

Tayleur, John, of Rodington, Sheriff, 1691.

Arms: Ermine, on a chief Sable, three escallop shells Argent.

Crest: Issuing out of a ducal coronet (Or) a dexter arm in armour embowed holding in the hand a sword point imbrued Proper.

The arms of John Tayleur, of Rodington, Sheriff, 1691.

There is a traditional heraldic joke associated with this coat of arms, though it is a historical misconception rather than a true intentional pun (canting arms). The armorial joke relies on a humorous, non-heraldic interpretation of the technical components of the shield. In traditional heraldic analysis, such as that famously remarked upon by Sir Bernard Burke in his Vicissitudes of Families, the elements are playfully stripped of their noble meaning to describe the literal tools of a tailor (Tayleur). The Ermine fur pattern of the field represents the expensive cloth or material being worked on. The Chief Sable (The black horizontal block at the top of the shield) represents a tailor's cutting board or heavy ironing table. Instead of the holy pilgrim symbols of the Crusades, the escallop shells are instead, jokingly, interpreted as "thrums", the discarded threads, scraps, or fringe left over at the edge of a piece of woven cloth after a tailor cuts a pattern. Burke noted that onlookers cracked this joke to poke fun at the trade origins implied by the family's name. He dryly added that it was "a pun, and not a very clever one".

 

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Singe

 Singe, of Bridgnorth (from Millington of Catstree).

Arms: Azure, three millstones 2 & 1 Argent each charged with a circular mill-rind Sable. Quartering Argent, a eagle displayed with two heads Sable.

Crest: out of a ducal coronet Or an eagle's claw Argent. 

The arms of Singe, of Bridgnorth (from Millington of Catstree).

There is indeed an heraldic pun (canting arms) here, but it isn't for the name Singe, it is a brilliant pun for their original surname Millington. The family that bears these arm, famously the ancestors of the Synge baronets and the celebrated Irish playwright John Millington Synge, originally bore the surname Millington.  The three millstones (each charged with an iron mill-rind) are a direct visual pun on the "Mill-" in Millington. On the crest, the eagle's claw emerging from a coronet, along with the second and third quarters of the full coat of arms (which depict a double-headed eagle), reflects the second half of the name, "-ington," representing an estate or farmstead, often associated with birds of prey in this lineage. 

The name change is a famous piece of family lore. The lineage traces back to the 16th century to a Thomas Millington, who was a choirboy at Bridgnorth. King Henry VIII reportedly heard him sing and commanded that he be called "Singe" instead. The family adopted the surname Synge (pronounced to rhyme with "sing") but rightfully kept their ancestral, pun-filled coat of arms.

Antiquaries write that the Synge family originated in England, tracing their male line to the sixteenth century in Shropshire, where Thomas Millington was known as 'corruptly* called Singe of Bridgnorth'. 

*Historically, the phrase "corruptly called" (or corruptè dictum in Latin) was used by ancient and medieval scholars—like cartographers, historians, and chroniclers, to indicate that a name, place, or term had been mistakenly altered over time. It meant a word was mispronounced, misspelled, or misunderstood.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Ridley

 Ridley

Ridley, of Salop.

Arms: Gules, a chevron Argent between 3 hawks close Or. 

Crest: A greyhound courant Argent collared Gules.

The arms of Ridley, co. Salop.

There is a clear heraldic pun (known as canting arms or armes parlantes) in this coat of arms, but it lies in the hidden Old English etymology of the surname Ridley. While a modern observer might look at a chevron, hawks, and a greyhound and see no immediate connection to the word "Ridley," medieval heralds relied heavily on local dialects, wordplay, and archaic terminology. 

The name Ridley originates from Old English words meaning a "cleared glade" or "reedy ley" (field). However, in medieval hunting and regional dialects, a glade or clearing where hawks were flown or dogs were slipped to chase prey was intimately tied to the concept of "riding" (hunting on horseback) through the open leys. 

The crest of a greyhound courant (running at full speed) is the ultimate symbol of a swift pursuit or "riding down" prey. In medieval falconry, hawks were kept "close" (with wings folded) when they were resting on the falconer's fist while he was riding to the hunt.

Shropshire's Heraldic Puns - Proby

 Proby.

Proby, alias Ap Robyn.

Arms: Ermine, on a fesse gules a lion passant Or. 

Crest: An ostrich's head erased Argent ducally gorged Or in his mouth a key of the last.

Motto: Manus Haec Inimica Tyrannis ("This hand is hostile to tyrants").

The arms of Proby, alias Ap Robyn.

There is a brilliant heraldic pun (known as "canting arms" or armes parlantes) built into both the shield and the crest of this specific coat of arms for the surname Proby (alias Robyn). Historically, this family hailed from Cheshire and later Elton Hall, and their identity as "Robyn" or "Proby" is perfectly reflected in their heraldry. The Shield has a pun on "Robyn". Although this shield features a lion passant, in several older variants and rolls of this specific grant, the animal on the red central stripe (fesse gules) is actually a fox (passant Or), rather than a lion. In Old English and traditional folklore, a common colloquial nickname for a fox was "Reynard" or "Robin" (frequently appearing in historical documents as "Robyn Fox"). Thus, displaying a fox on the shield was a direct pun on their alias surname, Robyn. Over the centuries, subsequent heraldic misinterpretations or upgrades in status frequently saw this fox redrawn as a grander lion passant. 

The Crest: In medieval and early modern heraldic lore, the ostrich was famously (and inaccurately) believed to have a stomach strong enough to digest iron, which is why it is traditionally depicted holding heavy metal objects like iron keys or horseshoes in its beak. The Latin verb "to try", "to test", or "to prove" is probare. An ostrich putting an iron key to the test of its legendary digestive tract is visually "proving" its standard nature. The animal is quite literally performing a test, a "probe", creating a multi-layered pun on the name Proby.

This is a representation of the arms recorded in several older variants and rolls of this specific grant where the animal on the red central stripe (fesse gules) is actually a fox (passant Or), rather than a lion. 

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Praers

 Praers

Prayers

Arms: Gules, a scythe Argent.

The arms of Praers.

There is an historic heraldic pun (known as a canting coat of arms) in the bearings of the Praers family. The visual pun relies on medieval French and Old English vocabulary, playing on the meaning of the surname and heraldic wordplay. The surname Praers (also spelled Praerys or Pryeres) derives from the Anglo-Norman French word praer or praerie, meaning a meadow or pasture (the root of the modern English word prairie). The scythe is the primary agricultural tool used historically for mowing meadows and harvesting grass. By choosing a scythe as their knightly symbol, the Praers family created a delicate allusion to their own name. The coat of arms visually represents the action historically associated with their name's literal meaning: a tool to mow the meadows.

Shropshire's Punning Heraldry - Pointer

One more (selected out of the many) punning image:

Pointer

Pointer, Rev. John

Arms: Sable, three piles the points ending in crosses formée two in base and one in chief Or. 

Crest: A dexter arm bendways vested Sable cuffed Or pointing with the forefinger Proper Or. 

The arms of The Reverend John Pointer.

This is an excellent, and obvious, example of canting arms (or an heraldic pun), which relies on visual wordplay. The puns are woven into both parts of the achievement: The charges on the shield are piles, which are large, downward-pointing triangular shapes. Their downward "points" literalise the surname Pointer. Each of the three piles ends in (or points to) a cross and it is quite possible that the three crosses refer to The Holy Trinity. The crest features a pointing finger, making a second, direct visual reference to the surname.